Love
by WriteOnForever
Summary: All he can think about is Clarisse as he's kissing Drew. Chrisse, I swear.


Disclaimer: Nothing I have written has yet to be published.

Love

Some guys leave little love notes to their girlfriends to let them know how important they are. Some buy extravagant gifts. Some give them long, passionate kisses underneath a star-studded sky.

I keep my girlfriend from killing people.

Being a daughter of the god of war, she has a short temper and a rapid reaction time to annoying people. And to be fair, a lot of time, those she goes after totally deserve it.

For instance, the person on the wrong end of her electric spear this fine morning is Drew, daughter of the goddess of beauty and bitch extraordinaire. As I approach them in the training arena, Clarisse slowly backing the living Barbie into a corner, I already know that whatever Drew did is worthy of Clarisse's fury.

Other than Mark dragging me away from archery, muttering, "My sister's having a fit again," neither the Ares cabin nor the Aphrodite cabin is making any move to prevent the impending slaughter. That is probably because it's well-known that I am the official maintainer of Clarisse's Zero Murder record. I am, after all, her dutiful boyfriend, and it's the least I can do after everything she's done for me.

"What happened this time?" I ask, hesitantly placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Doesn't matter," she snarls, and an extra flurry of sparks erupts from her weapon. "Just let me get one shot—"

"Control your pet, Rodriguez," Drew barks.

Clarisse growls and tightens her grip, which means she's about to attack. Desperate times calling for desperate measures, I grab her around the waist and pull her away. For the record, Clarisse could totally get out of my grasp, kick my butt, and have time to puncture her target before anyone realized that they really need to intervene, but because of our relationship, she allows me to be her common sense in situations like this. It won't stop her from punching me later, but it comes with the territory.

"C'mon, Reese," I murmur, speaking into her ear. "Whatever she said, it's not even worth it."

"She said Silena deserved to die." Her voice is choked with sorrow and rage. "Said she got the death a traitor deserved."

"Well, it's true." Drew sniffs disdainfully. "Betraying camp. Her _family_. Becoming a hideous, deformed freak and dying was the punishment she deserved."

You have no idea how tempted I am to just let Clarisse go Rambo on her ass, but that won't solve anything, so I growl, "Drew, she was your sister. Have some respect for the dead."

"Half-sister," she objects.

"Like it fricking matters. Why do you have to bring it up anyway?"

"Maybe if that she-devil didn't keep insisting that Silena was a better cabin leader than I am!"

"She was a better leader!" Clarisse shouts. "She actually gave a crap about her siblings! All _you _care about is yourself!"

"Sweetie, maybe if _you _cared about yourself a little more, you would look semi-decent."

"She looks perfect," I hiss, unable to ignore how stiff Clarisse becomes in my arms. "Leave her alone."

"Oh, Chris dear, I know you feel obligated to say that. After she saved you from the Labyrinth, you think you have to repay her, and that's very sweet and all, but really, you could do so much better."

"Better? Like you?" I jeer.

Flipping her hair, she purrs, "Perhaps."

"Drew, your personality makes you the ugliest girl I have ever met."

Yeah, not the most In Yo Face, Bi-Yotch comeback, but it's enough to leave her sputtering in fury as I drag Clarisse from the arena.

"I hate her," she mutters, twisting her head so she can shoot one final death glare.

"She's not worth it." I lean forward to kiss her forehead, and since no one's around, she lets me. "Seriously, Reese, you need to ignore her."

"Silena was my friend. I can't let that stupid slut talk badly about her."

"You don't have to _kill _her."

With a roll of her eyes, she flicks the side of my head before muttering, "Thanks. Chiron would make me work on dish-duty for a fricking month if I went after her. Again."

"Hey, what are boyfriends for?" Stealing another kiss, I say, "Look, I'm heading back to archery. You gonna be okay?"

She waves her hand. "Of course. Go on, learn to actually use that thing."

Smirking in response, I return to my regular schedule, silently applauding myself for a crisis averted.

At dinnertime, Drew attempts to rekindle it.

"Hi, Chris." She stops at our table, leaning over to show off her, erm, girls. "What's up?"

"Uh, nothing," I respond, staring at my food instead of her. "You can go away now."

A high-pitched cackle erupts from her mouth. "Oh, Chris, why would I do that?" Forcing herself between two of my siblings, she places her hands on top of my cup so that we're practically face-to-face. "You're hot, I'm hot, I mean, we'd be perfect together."

Gingerly, I take hold of her fingers and pry them from my glass. "Look, I'm with Clarisse. That's obvious. So can you please leave me alone?"

"Why do you stay with that…whatever she is? What can you possibly see in her? I mean, gods, she's not even pretty and she is not smart and all she does is train and you deserve so much better."

Blood boiling, I growl, "There is _no one _better than Clarisse. She is the best thing in my life. So get the Hades away from me."

Sneering, she returns, "Fine. But you'll come to me. I know it."

She struts away, and I notice Clarisse following her, face unreadable. When she glances at me, I offer a weak smile and a shrug, like it's no big deal. She glares at her dinner, stabbing it angrily but not eating anything.

I should have let her clobber Drew.

After dinner, I grab hold of her upper arm as she's booking it out the door. "Clarisse, can we talk?"

"About what?"

"You know what. Drew's just being a bitch. Don't let it get to you."

At that moment, she skips ahead of us and giggles, "Meet me five minutes before the campfire, Chris."

Bristling, Clarisse glares at me. "Right, don't let the fact that the prettiest girl at camp is whoring herself out to my boyfriend. How absolutely stupid of me to react in such a manner."

"Drew is not the prettiest girl. You are." I give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, my stand-in for a hug when we're in public. "And before you say anything, I mean that. You're the only girl I want."

"Thanks," she mumbles, fingers brushing my hand. "I'll see you at the campfire?"

"Of course."

On the way back to my cabin, I muse over the situation. How could Clarisse even believe that I would like Drew? Just because she was an exotic beauty with a great body and a bright smile and smelled like strawber—

Gods, what the Hades am I thinking?

I shake my head, as though that will fix everything, but my mind is still consumed with Drew. Something is wrong. So very, very wrong. I have done a lot of stupid things in my life—traitor of camp here, remember?—but I have not once, since Clarisse and I have been dating, thought about another girl. Even before we were dating, when we had this secret hush-hush whatever you call it, I knew she was the only one for me. So why am I imaging Drew coming towards me, wearing a skimpy little skirt and a loose shirt that she's slowly removing…

Growling in frustration, I damn near kick open the door and throw myself on my bed. This cannot be happening. I care about Clarisse. I love her, damn it!

Drew must've done something. That's the only explanation. But when would she have had the time? We only saw each other in the arena and at dinner.

Dinner. Her hands on my cup. She drugged me. Zeus, the bitch drugged me!

"Uh, Chris? Is there any particular reason you're trying to strangle your pillow?"

I glance at Travis, staring at me like I've lost my mind. Releasing my hold, I grumble, "Nothing."

"Oh-kay."

I'm tempted to storm the Aphrodite cabin and get the answer out of Drew right this second, but the more I contemplate that, the more, ahem, excited I get, and I decide that my best course of action is to just avoid her until the effects wear off. Or forever. Whatever works.

In spite of myself, I find myself heading to the campfire before everyone else. It doesn't even feel like I'm in control anymore.

_Meet me five minutes before the campfire, hon._

Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no.

My feet don't care, though, and continue leading me to my doom. Drew is already there, dressed in tight shorts and a crop top, which is so not helping me right now.

"I knew you'd come," she smirks, approaching me slowly. "I knew you couldn't resist."

"You did something to me," I growl. "You put something in my drink at dinner."

She feigns surprise. "What? Me? Oh, silly, why would I do that? _I _can get any guy I want, without any help."

"Tell me the truth," I snarl.

"Uh, you're no fun," she pouts. "It was a lust potion. I _charmed _one of the Hecate children into giving it to me." She strokes my cheek, and I involuntarily shudder. "It's a lovely little thing, you know. Not only does it make you want me, it makes you obey anything I say." Her smile warps into a snarl. "So give me a hug, Chris."

My arms wrap around her, and she buries her head into my neck. "I hate you," I spit.

"No, you don't," she protests. "If you did, you wouldn't tell me that I'm pretty. Tell me I'm pretty."

"You're pretty."

"Now say Clarisse is an ugly, awful girl."

"Clarisse is an…an…ug…ly, awful…girl." No matter how hard I try to keep them back, the words come forward.

Drew chuckles sadistically. "I always knew you felt that way."

"Why are you doing this?" I demand. "What is your problem?"

"It's simple, hon. I don't like Clarisse. Clarisse likes you. The best way to get to her is to go after you. Now." She tilts her head up. "I'm going to ask you to give me a kiss. A real kiss."

"No. The other campers will be here soon—"

"That's the point, sweetie."

"You can't do this, Drew. Please, Clarisse would never forgive me if I did this."

"Exactly. Now, kiss me."

I resist. I swear to every god that I resist. But it doesn't matter. My lips meet hers anyway. Her tongue invades my mouth and her teeth gnaw at my bottom lip and there's nothing I can do.

"Oh my gods. Chris!"

Even with my eyes closed, I recognize Connor's voice. I attempt to break away, but Drew murmurs, "Keep kissing me," and I have no other choice.

There are more people coming, whispers and gasps and mutterings. It's the soft, disbelieving, "Chris?" that silences them all.

"Don't look at her," Drew commands, her grasp on me tightening.

_I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. _The chant runs through my mind as I hear her storming away.

"Good," Drew coos. "Good boy."

That's the final straw. A growl budding in my throat, I bite her as hard as I can. Screaming, she slaps me across the face, and I release my grip. A stream of blood is dribbling down her chin, but there's no time to take any satisfaction in it because the entire camp is just staring at me.

Shoving my way through the crowd, I sprint towards the Ares cabin, but a hand grabbing my collar stops me in my tracks.

"You bastard," Sherman barks, throwing me to the ground. His brothers circle me. "How could you do that to her?"

"Drew—"

A kick to the stomach ends my explanation. "Don't even try! You hurt my little sister, you ass, and you are going to pay for it."

Instead of pointing out that Clarisse would never be okay with being referred to as _little sister_, I stay quiet and curl in the fetal position, preparing to get the crap beaten out of me.

"She took care of you for six fricking months!" Mark snarls. "Every damn day she tried to help you get better!" His foot nails me in the lower spine. "She thought you cared about her!"

"I do," I object. "I do. Drew gave me a lust potion."

"Yeah, right." Dropping beside me, Anthony slams my head against the forest floor.

"I mean it! If I'm lying, let Ares come down right now and kill me."

A few moments pass, and when no one continues thrashing me, I weakly push into a sitting position. "Let me talk to Clarisse. Please. I need to."

They share looks. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Sherman mutters, "Fine. But if we hear the word, you die, understand?"

I nod and get to my feet. The group trails closely behind me.

"Clarisse?" I knock tentatively on the door. "Please, Clarisse, I really have to talk to you."

"Go away!"

Taking a shaky breath, I enter anyway. Clarisse is sitting on her bed, a shredded pillow on the floor. All of her sisters are clustered around her, and each one is glaring at me.

"Leave." She won't look at me. "Leave right now."

"I didn't do it on purpose. Drew gave me a lust potion. That's the only reason this even happened." Addressing her siblings, I plead, "Can I talk to her alone? Please?"

They don't move for a minute. Finally, they decide to humor me, nudging and shoving me on their way out the door. From the corner of my eye, I see them congregate with the rest of their cabin, probably debating the most painful kind of slaughter, if it comes to that.

I take a step closer to her. "Clarisse, please—"

"If you wanted to break up, you could have just told me so."

"I don't want to break up with you."

"So you just want to screw that bitch on the side?" She lets out a humorless laugh. "Great arrangement."

"Please, listen. I swear that Drew gave me a potion. That is the only reason I would ever do something like that. Reese—"

"Don't you dare call me that you lying bastard!"

"I'm not lying. Please."

"Leave." Her voice breaks. "Get out and don't ever come back. We're through, understand?"

Realizing this is getting me nowhere, I leave and go for the Aphrodite cabin, sure that Drew wouldn't stay at the campfire with a bloody lip. Like I suspected, she's right in front of the mirror, freaking out over the wound. Without a word, I grab her around the waist and throw her over my shoulder. Her threats and punches don't even faze me.

Kicking open the Ares cabin door, I drop Drew on the floor and command, "Tell her what you did."

Glancing between the two of us, she mutters something incoherent.

"Tell her, damn it!"

Scowling, she repeats, "I snuck him a lust potion. It made him desire me and obey whatever instruction I gave him. He wasn't in control of anything."

Clarisse shifts slightly. "You mean it?"

Drew rolls her eyes. "Why would I lie about this? Now, can I go and fix this horrific injury your monster of a boyfriend gave me?"

"How'd he hurt you if he wasn't in control?"

"Ugh, I don't know, okay?! It was supposed to last twelve hours, unless broken by true love. And if this is over, I am gone."

Drew stomps out. Finally alone, I don't know what to say.

"So you didn't do it on purpose?" She sounds fragile.

"Of course not." I take a seat beside her. "I would never, ever do that to you. I care about you. I…I love you."

I hadn't wanted to say it in this situation. It was all planned in my head, actually—music and roses and candles. Seeing how everything was playing out, though, there was no better time than now.

"Really?"

"Of course, Reese." I take her hand in mine. "You are the only girl I ever need."

"How? How can you love me when you could have a girl like Drew?"

A tear trickles down her cheek, but I ignore it as I embrace her. She buries her head into my chest and inhales shakily before mumbling something. It takes me a few seconds to decode, but I realize that she said, "I love you, too."

We sit here for hours, shifting between talking and just enjoying the other's company, until we're both nearly asleep. Her siblings come back, all of them eyeing me, but I'm too exhausted to move. Sherman stops in front of us, arms over his chest. Just when I'm convinced he's about to run a sword through me, he says, "Look, you can stay the night. You think of doing anything with her, though, I'm cutting off your dick."

I nod and maneuver myself so we're both lying down. Crazy relatives—just something you deal with for the person you love.


End file.
